Brassiere



L. H. SAYERS Nov. 19, 1968 BRASSIERE FiledvSept. 8, 1966 INVENTOR A lid/,4 h- Jl/EZ; I ZM 9 MM, ATTQRNEYS United States Patent 3,411,508 BRASSIERE Lillian H. Sayers, New York, N.Y., assignor to Kops Bros. Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 577,857 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-430) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A brassiere comprising a pair of bust cups secured together in side by side relation with each bust cup having a side member extending laterally therefrom and terminating in a free end. A pair of shoulder straps have their upper ends secured to the top of the bust cups, respectively, and their lower ends secured to the free ends of the associated side members, respectively. A strap extends downwardly from a point immediately below the lower edge of each bust cup and terminates in securing means for attachment to a waistband of another garment.

The present invention relates to a brassiere especially suited for wear in association with a dress of the type which leaves the back of the wearer exposed substantially in its entirety.

Though backless dresses have been in vogue for some time, there has never been an entirely satisfactory backless brassiere for use in conjunction with the backless dress. In prior efforts to provide a brassiere for a backless dress, the result was either not a truly concealed back-less brassiere or, if it was truly backless, it was uncomfortable to the wearer because it failed to provide the requisite support for the wearers Ibreasts. More often than not, the previous efforts to achieve a backless brassiere were unsatisfactory both from the point of view that part of the brassiere remained unconcealed at the back thereof and the brassiere failed to provide the requisite degree of support.

In accordance with the present invention, there has been provided a brassiere which is truly backless and which, because of its improved construction, nevertheless provides the requisite support and comfort not pre viously available. This is accomplished in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention by applying the supporting forces directly to the cups themselves, at substantially two locations on each cup, but along three separate lines of action. Such arrangement, it has been found, provides the requisite comfort, prevents riding up of the cups,and confines all the brassiere supporting elements in a location which is clearly concealed by even the most exposing type of backless dress. The aforementioned two locations on each of the cups acted upon by the brassiere supporting forces are, respectively, along the upper edge of the cup and along the lower edge of the cup, the latter location being in close proximity to the mid-point of such lower edge. Thus, the two locations for the application of supporting forces are substantially on opposite sides of the cup in order to create the required interaction of the forces acting upon the cups at the said opposite sides.

[t is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a backless brassiere having improved functional characteristics which provide the requisite support and comfort to the wearer.

Another object is the provision of a backless brassiere wherein all the elements thereof are concealed from view when the wearer thereof is wearing a backless dress.

Another object is the provision of a backless brassiere wherein the supporting forces are applied directly to the cups, and at opposite sides thereof.

Another object is the provision of a backless brassiere 3,411,508 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 which provides the requisite support and comfort to the wearer by applying the bra-supporting forces directly to opposite sides of the cups, which brassiere has all the elements thereof concealed from view when the wearer is wearing a backless dress.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the brassiere in open distended condition;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the brassiere in accordance with the invention, on the wearer;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a rear view thereof.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, the brassiere 10 in accordance with the invention comprises a pair of bust cups 12 and '14 joined together by connection 16. Bust cup 12 is made of upper section 18 and lower section 20 stitched together along the curved line of stitching 22 to impart to cup 12 the conventional desired cup shape. Similarly, bust cup 14 comprises upper section 24, lower section 26 joined together along line of stitching 28. The lower periphery 30 of bust cup 12 is generally of semi-circular configuration and is preferably provided with correspondingly shaped stilfening bone 32. Similarly, lower periphery 34 of bust cup 14 is provided with a stiffening bone 36.

A short side member 38 is attached to the outer portion of periphery 30 of bust cup '12, said side member being defined by upper edge 40, lower edge 42 and inner edge 44 which is common with the outer portion of bust cup 12 from which section 38 extends. Upper edge 40 is essentially an extension of upper edge portion 46 of bust cup 12 and lower edge 42 is substantially tangential to the lower periphery 30 of the associated bust cup.

Similarly, short side member 48 is attached to the outer portion of periphery 34 of bust cup 14, said side member being defined (by upper edge 50, lower edge 52, and inner edge 54, which is common with the outer portion of bust cup 14 from which section 48 extends. Upper edge 50 is essentially an extension of upper edge portion 56 to bust cup 14 and lower edge 52 is substantially tangential to the lower periphery 34 of the associated bust cup.

Brassiere 10 is provided with a pair of shoulder straps 58 and 60, which are preferably adjustable and elastic, each of which is attached at one end thereof to the top of the cup. The other ends of straps 58 and 60 are secured to the outer corners or apices 62 and 64, respectively, of side sections 38 and 48. The lower edge 42 of section 38 is reinforced with a band 66 of a width and character substantially the same as that of the associated shoulder strap 58 to which it is attached as at 62. Similarly, the lower edge 52 of section 48 is reinforced with a band 68 of a width and character substantially the same as that of the associated shoulder strap 60 to which it is attached as at 64. Thus, bands 66 and 68 form, in effect, extensions of the shoulder straps 58 and 60, respectively, so that in actuality the forces transmitted by the shoulder straps are applied to the bust cups proper at the junction points thereof with the lower edge of side sections 38 and 48, respectively, as at points A and B.

In a backless brassiere, there is obviously lacking the lateral forces applied to the cups in a conventional brassiere which encircles the entire wearers torso, which lateral forces are necessary for proper support, comfort and fit. In order to provide such requisite support in the brassiere in accordance with the invention, there are provided a pair of straps 70 and 72 which are attached at their upper ends to cups 12 and 14, respectively, and which are-provided at their lower ends with detachably securing means such as garter attachments 74 and 76, respectively. These garter attachments are for the purpose of securing the lower ends of straps 70 and 72 to the waistband 78 of a girdle or other article of wearing apparel. In order to obtain the proper supporting feature, it has been found highly desirable, if not imperative, to secure the upper end of the straps 70 and 72 to the lower edge of the cups themselves and, preferably, adjacent to the junction A in the case of strap 70, and B in the case of strap 72. For convenience of manufacture, it has been found easier to secure the upper ends of the straps not actually to the lower periphery of the cup itself but to the immediately adjacent associated bands 66 and 68. In this connection, it should be noted that points A and B, along the lower periphery, of the cups, are located in close proximity to the mid-point of such lower edge.

In some prior art backless brassieres utilizing downwardly extending straps for attachment to a girdle waistband, such as shown in US. Patent No. 3,077,885, the straps were attached, not adjacent to the lower periphery of the cups themselves, but to the side bands of thebrassiere at a point spaced from the cups themselves. Such prior art arrangement failed to furnish the satisfactory interacting forces to the cup in order to provide the adequate support and comfort.

The foregoing arrangement, on the other hand, results in the application of forces directly to the cup in a manner which provides the utmost of comfort and support to the wearer. These forces are as follows: The upward force applied directly to the top of the cups by the shoulder straps, the downward and rearward force applied directly or immediately adjacent to the cups at the bottom peripheries thereof by the downwardly extending straps 70 and 72, and the force applied to substantially the same location along the lower peripheries of the cups by the shoulder straps as extended by bands 66 and 68. These three forces, plus the force between the cups as transmitted by connection 16, have been found to co-act and combine to provide all the requisite comfort and support to the wearer.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower ends of the downwardly extending straps can be and preferably should be attached to the waistband 78 at a point coincident with or forwardly of the side silhouette of the wearer, as particularly evident from FIG. 4 in which such point of attachment is not visible. In this connection, it should be noted that side sections 38 and 48, respectively, are relatively small and that the apices 62 and 64 thereof are coincident with or forward of the side silhouette profile of the wearer. The net result as best evidenced from FIG.

4 is that a rear view of the wearer reveals only a small portion of the shoulder straps, which small portion will clearly be concealed from view no matter what kind of backless dress is worn by the wearer except only a strapless backless dress.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the form and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A brassiere comprising:

a pair of bust cups secured together in side-by-side relation;

a side member connected to and extending laterally from each bust cup;

each of said side members terminating in a free end;

a pair of shoulder straps each having the upper end thereof secured to the top of the bust cup and the lower end thereof secured to the free end of the associated side member;

and a pair of straps extending downwardly from the brassiere, each strap extending from a point immediately below the lower edge of the associated bust cup;

said downwardly extending straps terminating in securing means for attachment to a waistband of another garment;

each of said side members being defined by an upper edge and a lower edge which converge at the free end of said side member, said lower edge being tangential to said bust cup lower edge at its junction therewith;

each of said downwardly extending straps being secured at its upper end to the lower edge of the associated side member immediately adjacent to the junction thereof with the lower edge of the bust cup.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 298,067 5/1884 Clarke 128426 2,895,480 7/1959 Fixel 128553 3,109,431 11/1963 Jefferson 1285l0 3,077,885 2/1963 Hopper 128--510 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

